Infineon offers low-cost LED driver IC

Designed for driving high-power LEDs, the BCR 450 - in combination with an external transistor - features precise current control, thermal protection and over-voltage and over-current protection functions.

As the BCR 450 produces no electromagnetic radiation, it is suited for applications that are sensitive against electromagnetic interference (EMI), such as lighting in transportation vehicles, including buses, ships, trains and aircraft, as well as medical applications with communication bus systems.

The driver is also said to be suitable for applications in architectural and accent lighting, advertising, strobe lights for emergency vehicles, hazard lights and road-safety lights.

The BCR 450 is designed for use with high-wattage LEDs, such as in the 0.5W, 1W or 3W range, in combination with an external transistor.

By changing the external transistor, manufacturers of LED lighting have the flexibility to adapt output currents from 100mA to more than 1A.

The application circuit with the BCR 450 has a low component count and is free of inductors, capacitors and free-wheeling diodes, resulting in a very small PCB space requirement.

This includes the elimination of electrolytic capacitors, which limit the lifetime of switch-mode driver solutions.

As there is no need for capacitors with the BCR 450, the lifetime of the LED system can be extended.

Infineon said that it recognised the strong demands for thermal management and implemented an effective thermal shutdown feature as well as over-voltage and over-current protection into the device.

In large parts of the illumination market, and especially in architectural lighting, a homogenous light output in the whole LED chain of light sources is crucial, according to the company.

The BCR 450 - with its output current precision varying only +/-10 per cent over the entire operating temperature range - supports the homogenous light output requirement for LED lighting fixtures.

Michael Mauer, senior director of discrete semiconductors at Infineon, said: 'Currently, the biggest obstacle for penetration of LEDs in the lighting market is the high system price.

'As Infineon separated the power stage from the intelligent IC, the cost of the BCR 450 LED driver could be optimised.

'With our commitment to energy efficiency, we have developed an innovative product that maximises performance and lifetime of LED lighting systems while reducing board space, design complexity and system costs,' he added.

Volume production of the BCR 450 LED driver IC has already started.

It is available in a small six-pin SC74 package.

In quantities of 50,000 units, pricing for the BCR 450 ranges from about EUR0.25 (GBP0.23) to EUR0.30 per unit.